If I Weren't Here
by Sworn Destiny
Summary: Manta comsiders that maybe everything would've turned out better if he never existed. Read and review, plz! Go easy on the rookie, though.


If I Weren't Here  
  
By CC!  
  
Manta wandered around the streets, walking with his bike by his side. With some time of his own, he began thinking of the Shaman Fight. He remembered one thing that caught his attention. What Hao said.  
  
"You aren't even a shaman. You're just man. Being friends with Yoh doesn't help him. You're just a burden..."  
  
Manta felt bothered. Before, he always thought that his friendship to everyone and trying his best was enough. But even though now was a time of peace and everyone was living their lives out normally, with the Shaman Fight over and everything, even though everything has been said and done for a few months, now that Manta had time to think, Manta thought...'I'm just a burden...I mean, I have helped out, but most of the time I caused the problem it the first place or everyone could've just solved it all themselves anyway...maybe...everything would still be the same, no, maybe things would've worked out better...if I....if I...'  
  
Manta thought as a strong gust blew through his hair and ran between his fingers, 'If I were never here...'  
  
Yoh passed by with the usual jogging that Anna forced him to undergo. He noticed Manta's worried face and asked, "Are you okay, Manta?"  
  
Manta looked up and lied, "Nothing's bothering me. I'm okay. Ummm...hey, can I come with you as you run?"  
  
Yoh smiled and agreed, "Alright. It's better running with company."  
  
Manta hopped onto his bike and followed Yoh as he jogged. He asked, "Yoh, why are you still running anyway? Isn't the Shaman Fight over, so you don't need to train hard anymore?"  
  
Yoh huffed as he ran with the new twenty-pound weights tightly attached to his wrist and ankles, "Anna says I need to stay in shape....."  
  
Manta smiled, "Hahah, expected from Anna..."  
  
Manta looked at the floor rush beneath him as he remembered what he was thinking about earlier. He sighed, "Yoh..."  
  
Yoh turned his head and asked, "Hmm?"  
  
Manta shook his head, "N-never mind." He didn't want to burden his friend with a stupid thought that he finally came up with now, months after everything was already over.  
  
The two had finally made it back to Yoh's house, and Tamao rushed outside, "Miss Anna! My divination said that..."  
  
She noticed Yoh and her cheeks deepened into a flush of pink, "That....that....that...." Her face darkened into a million shades of red as she tilted her head towards the floor, "...t...h...a....t...."  
  
"Tamao," Anna called.  
  
Tamao rushed to her and said, "YES MISS ANNA!!!!!!"  
  
Yoh said in bewilderment, "What just happened?"  
  
Manta smiled to Yoh, "Heheh, right now isn't a time to explain...but, let's go to where Anna and Tamao is. Something seems to be wrong."  
  
Yoh replied, "Alright." They walked to where Anna and Tamao and overheard Tamao report to Anna, "My divination said something about, 'The watermelon head is in danger.'"  
  
Anna glared at Manta, "Manta..." Manta wondered, "Huh? What?"  
  
Everyone else stared at him as well. Tamao walked over and poked at Manta and laughed, "Watermelon head!!!!!"  
  
Manta complained, "What?! I'm not a watermelon head!!!"  
  
Everyone shook their heads in agreement with Tamao.  
  
Manta whined, "I'm a watermelon head...?"  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
Manta sobbed, "Water...melon...head..."  
  
As Manta sat on the floor, apparently in his own sad little world, Anna told Yoh, "Either way, Tamao says Manta's in danger. Better keep an eye on him, Yoh."  
  
Yoh nodded, "Don't worry. I will."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Manta was hyperventilating in complete terror as he and Yoh walked down the sidewalk to buy groceries.  
  
Yoh turned his head and asked his little friend, "What's wrong?"  
  
Manta sniffed, "WHAT'S WRONG?!!?! I'm in danger! That's what's wrong!!! For all I know, right out of the cracks of the sidewalk evil emerges!!"  
  
Yoh grinned, "Relax. Everything'll work out."  
  
Manta looked at the floor, "But what if--"  
  
Yoh said, "If anything happens, then come what may. Trust me. Everything will work out. No worries."  
  
Manta forced a smile, "Mm-hmm...I trust you...'cause we're friends!"  
  
Yoh smiled, "Yup!"  
  
A thing of irony, between the cracks of the cement sidewalk grew a spirit. It was of a woman. She had long black hair and eyes of emerald. Her crimson kimono draped to her feet as her footsteps left prints of blood.  
  
Manta automatically assumed that this woman was the danger to face. This theory was supported when she grasped Manta by his hair and held her long black nails to his neck.  
  
Yoh called Amidamaru and did Furyoku, and as Harusame gushed a pale blue aura, Yoh demanded, "Why do you want to hurt Manta?!!?"  
  
Without a response, the spirit quietly laid Manta down onto the floor, and her arm stretched out like rubber to grab Yoh by the neck. She flinged her arm back and brought Yoh towards her. Yoh had lost his grip on the spiritual sword, and was vulnerable for the spirit to freely kill him.  
  
'I'm just a burden...' Manta thought, 'and now, because of me....Yoh...is....'  
  
"NO!!!!" Manta cried. He didn't want to accept that Yoh was going to die because of him. Manta had a determined look on his face. He was going to save Yoh.  
  
"......!" Yoh watched Manta.  
  
A fiery red aura blazed in the air, all from Mosuke's hammer.  
  
"Let...go of...Yoh!!!!" Manta screamed as he pierced the hammer through the spirit and sent her to the other world. Amidamaru rushed out of Harusame to check on his master, "Master Yoh!"  
  
"I-I'm okay, Amidamaru," Yoh said as he brushed dust off his back as he kneeled on the floor. He looked up and asked his spirit, "But why was the spirit sent to the other world? Manta should've not been even able to touch her."  
  
"..." Amidamaru was also confused.  
  
Instead of fainting from exhaustion like when he last did Oversoul during the Shaman Fight, or trying to explain why he was able to touch her in the first place, Manta ran towards Yoh and cried on his shoulder, "B-because of me...you almost died..! I shouldn't be alive....I shouldn't be alive....I'm just a burden to everyone!"  
  
Yoh patted Manta's back and smiled, "You're the complete opposite, Manta."  
  
Manta stepped back after calming down and wiping his tears away with the back of his hand, "What do you mean?"  
  
Yoh explained, "It was because of you I met everyone in the first place. If you were never here, I'd still be at the cemetery right now, my only friends being the spirits. If you weren't here...then I would still live a sorrowful life, no friends, because everyone thinks I was different. You saw beyond that, Manta! You're not a burden...!"  
  
Manta smiled and Yoh gave him a little victory hug.  
  
Manta thought, 'Heheh. So Yoh's trying to say that if I weren't here...then nothing would be the same? Heheh...now...'  
  
Yoh and Manta walked back home, Amidamaru following.  
  
'I know why I'm here.'  
  
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
Heheh, a weak start to my first fanfic entry. ~_~  
  
Don't worry! I'll probably turn in more...and get better...I hope... 


End file.
